PAPER PRODUCTS & PRODUCTION

Consumers use paper and related products every single day, often without thinking about the complex processes that have gone into making the paper. Paper is made from trees or recycled material. Trees are turned into pulp through a process of mechanical or chemical pulping depending on the desired final product. After drying and layering the paper is then finally ready to be treated or coloured to create the bright whites we associate with paper.

Optical Brightening Agents (OBA) are added to paper which gives paper products the bright, bleached appearance. There are a number of challenges that relate to colour that arise during the paper production process.  Some of the challenges that occur during paper production include controlling the amount of OBAs needed in a batch of paper. Paper products appearing different due to metamerism and changes in raw materials. Meeting local and global standards for paper whiteness and colour.

Objective colour management is required in the paper industry to meet standards, test whiteness and shade and reduce debates between customers and suppliers around colour measurement.

Objective colour management can assist paper producers in the following ways:

• Measure the colour of pulp during the production process
• Measure the colour of final paper products
• Detect OBA in the paper by measuring within the UV spectrum
• Grade paper on a C.I.E approved whiteness scale
• Reduce customer complaints and rejections based on colour